My Travel Diaries: I Left My Heart In Vilamoura

This summer saw my adventures take me to Vilamoura, Portugal. Situated 30 minutes from Faro in the Algarve, Vilamoura offers a truly beautiful diverse holiday destination for the perfect break.

Described as a “luxury” tourist complex on Trip Advisorit’s hard to find anything negative to say about the place! At the centre of Vilamoura is the Marina, the heart of the town and the place families and friends gather all day long and into the night. It’s busy throughout the day AND Night and is one of the most beautiful Marina’s I have visited. In the morning you can see the buzz of fishermen heading out to sea and the tourists lining up after breakfast ready to board for boat trips to the caves and beyond. People travel from nearby hotels and further destinations such as Alburferia to experience the marina and what it has to offer.

Nightlife in Vilamoura has the perfect balance. There are 2 clubs which means its not too loud or full of teenagers yet has plenty of late night bars offering live music, entertainment and even karaoke. Be sure to check out the Irish bars, there so much fun! The restaurants on the Marina stay open till late and offer fantastic views, not to mention the ice cream parlours!

I want to mention the amazing seafood restaurant set aside from the line of restaurants at the end of the marina. From the front looking like an ordinary small restaurant, it opens up at the back offering the BEST view of the marina and most amazing fresh seafood the marina has to offer. It has great prices and the quality and service is superb. The tables are often reserved due to its reputation and is home to lots of famous locals including Christiano Ronaldo.

If you venture off the marina through the beautiful gardens into the resort you will see many more hotels and apartments home to tourists and affluent locals who flock here in the summer. The town has been beautifully designed and has plenty of attractions, sports facilities, supermarkets and friendly walkways with a popup gym.

The hotel is situated within 5 acres of landscape gardens and offers a golf course, luxurious spa and 6 pools to spend your days relaxing in the sun. The team behind the beautiful resort work around the clock to make sure your stay is stress free, clean and friendly.

During the summer months they offer a kids club for busy parents wanting to relax, it has 5 restaurants and bars as well as a games room and conference centre. To top it all off it has it’s own tapas bar and private section on Falesia Beach, with a private bus that offers drop off points at the marina then beach every 30 minutes.

During my stay here I was able to recharge my batteries and relax in the beautiful surroundings. You would have every reason not to leave the resort however Vilamoura has so much to offer outside. I experienced the 7 spa and was blown away, the facilities are outstanding! People visit from all over Vilamoura for this spa and its not hard to see why. It’s zen environment offers a place to relax and it even has amazing offers for guests too!

There’s lots to do outside of the hotel. Aside from the marina and boat trips there is the beach which stretches for miles and is very clean, perfect for jet skiing or beach activities.

Vilamoura is also home to a preserved Roman site with a museum offering information but if that’s not for you, why not try the award wining mini golf around the corner for a fun filled day of family competitiveness…..I came last!

A very short walk from the marina is the old town of Quarteira, which also has lots of bars and beaches to choose from however is slightly cheaper for example the average cost of a cocktail on the marina was 8 Euro however slightly cheaper in Quarteira.

The resort is of course already well established as a golf resort and it was for that reason that I was visiting. It’s home to 5 top golf courses in the Algarve and the Portugal Masters have been held here many times in the past few years. I’m not going to pretend I know ANYTHING about golf, but what I do know is how to spend your time NOT playing it. Vilamoura has so much to offer for all types of tourists.

My trip to Vilamoura was so special, I was surprised at my first trip to Portugal going so magically and that is also down to the beautiful Portuguese people who are kind, welcoming and caring! I can’t wait to go back!